College Game Day Tweets (Mostly Women's Gymnastics): The Bruins Hit the Road; the Heels Stay Home

1) Samantah Peszek (pictured, a UCLA gymnast): "It's a travel day for the bruins. Off to NoCal we go." (posted Thurs.)

2) VCU Athletics (Men's basketball team has 11:00 a.m. vs. cross-town rival Richmond): "Be early. Be loud. Wear Black. Wreck HAVOC. Let's Go VCU!

3) West Virginia U Gymnastics: "We host our pink meet Sunday at 3 p.m. at the Coliseum!"

4) Kansas Women's Basketball: "Kwbb hopes to continue its Red Raider dominance in Lubbock, Tex. tomorrow"

5) UNC Gymnastics: "Carmichael Arena is ready and waiting for tonight's meet vs. Pitt! Come cheer us on at 7:00......free admission" (Meet will be televised live on ESPN3).

6) Penn State Gymnastics: "Excited for another BUS trip to Columbus, Ohio, tomorrow." (Posted Thurs.)

7). Florida Gators Gymnastics: "When combined rank of teams is less than the ticket-price- that's a deal! No2 Gators vs. #1 Oklahoma. Tix: $5"

http://www.collegegymfans.com

Sports Desk (2 of 2): Colleges by Area Code in North Carolina

De'Mon Brooks, pictured, scored 21 points for Davidson in a 85-52 home win over Southern Conference rival Georgia Southern on Saturday. The Davidson Wilcats, a team that plays in Davidson, NC, due north of Charlotte, is in the 704 area code. Other star players associated with the teams listed below include Jabari Parker (Duke), Jeremy Ingram (NC Central) and T.J. Warren (NC State).

Here is a look at ten of the 18 Division One schools in North Carolina, but this time instead of conferences, we've divided them by area codes. For more schools divided by area code check out yesterday's entry and our sister blog: http://www.politicscultureandotherwastesoft.blogspot.com


252

East Carolina University  Pirates (11-9, Greenville, Conf. USA): Next game @ Middle Tenn. State on Thurs. @ 8:00 p.m.

910

Campbell University Fighting Camels (10-11, Buies Creek, Big South): Next game vs. Charleston Southern on Wed. @ 7:00 p.m.

UNC-Wilmington Seahawks (6-15, Colonial Athletic): Next game vs. Towson (Md.) on Wed. @ 7:00 p.m.

704

Gardner-Webb Running Bulldogs (10-11, Boling Springs, Big South): Next game @ Longwood (Va.) @ 7:00 p.m. on Wed.

Davidson Wildcats (10-11, Southern Conf.): Next game vs. Chatanoogs on Thurs. @ 7:00 p.m.

Charlotte '49ers (12-7, Atlantic 10): Next game vs. Fla. Atlantic on Thurs. @ 7:00 p.m.

919

UNC Tar Heels (12-7, Chapel Hill, ACC): Next game @ Georgia Tech on Wed. @ 7:00 on ESPN-2.

Duke Blue Devils (17-4, Durham, ACC) Next game @ Syracuse @ 6:30 p.m. on ESPN

North Carolina State Wolfpack (13-7) Next game vs. Florida State @ 9:00 tonight on ESPN3

North Carolina Central Eagles (14-5, Durham, MEAC) Next game @ Howard (Wash. D.C.) on Sat. @ 4:00 p.m.

http://www.gocamels.com

http://www.goheeels.com

http://www.uncwsports.com

http://www.nccueaglepride.com

http://www.gopack.com

Sports Desk_ College Basketball Teams by Area Code in North Carolina (1 of 2)

We were hoping to add mascots from High Point University, Wake Forest and Western Carolina, but we are pressed for time here at the Hartford Public Library in Hartford, Conn. (not really where I am).

But, here is our first of two looks at North Carolina teams by area code. We have Virginia and Washington, DC, teams by area code on our sister blog "Politics, Culture and Other Wastes of Time" http://www.politicscultureandotherwastesoft.blogspot.com

There are an impressive 18 Division One colleges with men's basketball teams in North Carolina. Even though the four ACC programs get a lot of attention, there are plenty of competitive teams outside Raleigh-Durham-Chapel Hill. Here is a look at some of them:

336 (Winston-Salem, Greensboro, High Point)

1. UNC-Greensboro  Spartans(10-12, Southern Con., picture): Next game vs. Appalachian State on Thursday @ 7:00 p.m.

2. North Carolina A & T Aggies (8-13, Greensboro, MEAC): Next game vs. Coppin State (Maryland) 8:00 p.m., tonight

3. High Point University Panthers (7-12, Big South) Next game @ Presbyterian (SC) @ 7:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

4. Wake Forest Demon Deacons (14-6, Winston-Salem, ACC): Next game vs. #2 Syracuse Wed. @ 9:00 p.m.

5. Elon Phoenix (10-11, Elon/Southern Con.): Next game vs. Western Carolina on Thurs. @ 7:00 p.m.

828 (Asheville, Boone)

 1. Appalachian State Mounatineers (6-13, Boone, Southern Conf.) See UNC-Greensboro

2. Western Carolina Catamonts (11-10, Southern Conf.) See Elon

3. UNC-Asheville Bulldogs (10-10, Big South): Next game vs. VMI, Tues. @ 7:00 p.m.


http://www.uncgspartans.com/

http://www.ncataggies.com

 http://www.wakeforestsports.com

http://www.uncabulldogs.com

Best Comics Not in Washngton Post: A Good Day for Arctic Circle and Edison Lee

With his image of an Armenia chess player, we discuss some of our favorite comic strips not found in the print version of "The Washington Post." While the post has a wonderful, eclectic mix of comic strips, there are still several which aren't in one of America's most widely read newspapers.

The reason for the Armenian chess player is a brilliant satire of chess in "The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee," our second favorite comic strip behind "The Arctic Circle," which is a hilarious parody of LinkedIn users (well, I am one of them myself).

We also loved "Animal Crackers," which featured some subtle dark comedy which proves no one should try to reenact Icarus.

And, "The Pajama Diaries," dealt with a look at how a mother must try to figure out what to do with their teenager's bedroom that is all decorated with teen idol posters.

Here is our top ten:

1. Arctic Circle

2. The Brilliant Mind of Edison Lee

3. Animal Crackers

4. The Pajama Diaries

5. Edge City

6. The Flying McCoys

7. Bleeker

8. Brevity

9. Get Fuzzy

10. Tina's Groove

www.gocomics.com/animalcrackers/

http://edisonleecomic.com/

http://arcticcirclecartoons.com/

http://pajamadiaries.com/

The Sunday Washington Post Comics Survey: Lio Gets the Gold in the Giant Slalom

We were initially going to use an image of the Rev. Johnny Robertson from Martinsville, Va., which is some six  hours south of Washington, DC., a person whom my friend Chris Knight has made fun of quite well, but we are going with some little green men instead.

Today, Mark Tatulli's "Lio" comic strip, our personal favorite comic strip from the Sunday "Washington Post" featured the title character enjoying what seemed to be a radical preacher on an old tv with an antenna!

Second place goes to "The Argyle Sweater" in which a familiar Popeye character is at the center of the strip, in a police lineup no place. And, third-place finisher "Brewster Rockit," which is also carried by the "News and Record" in Greensboro, NC, had a great parody of selfies!

Keith Knight's strip "Knight Life" (Keith and Chris are not related; in fact Keith is African-American and Chris is white) poked fun of the 'most interesting man in the world' ads on commercials for the Mexican beer Dos Equis also made it into our survey at #5.

Here is our top ten:

1. Lio

2. The Argyle Sweater

3. Brewster Rockit

4. Sherman's Lagoon

5. Knight Life

6. Pearls Before Swine

7. Reply All

8. Dustin

9. Candorville

10. Prickly City

http://www.gocomics.com

http://www.washingtonpost.com/comics

http://www.knightshift.blogspot.com

Little Thinker Quotes (12 of 16): We're Not Afraid of Virginia Woolf.

"You cannot find peace in by avoiding life."

Ironically, this is a quote from Virginia Woolf, who alas committed suicide.

SIDEBAR: According to "Mental Floss" magazine, at some point and place in time, people used to say: "It's colder than a brass toilet seat in the Yukon."

With that in mind, here are some look at temperatures across America and around the world:

48 degrees in Sochi, Russia

37 degrees in Greensboro, NC

37 degrees in Bergen, Norway

29 degrees in Portland, Maine

21 degrees in Kars, Turkey

14 degrees in Port Huron, Michigan

http://www.mentalfloss.com

http://www.virginiawoolfsociety.co.uk

Little Philosophers Quotes (11 of 16): Emily Dickinson

"People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles."

http://www.emilydickinsonmuseum.org (E.Dickerson Museum is in Amherst, Mass.)

http://www.amherst.edu